We're In This Together
by jacobr1020
Summary: Merrill's girlfriend Theresa stays with them during the invasion. How will things change with her in the house? Please R & R.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Signs.

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'_Gotta get to Merrill. Gotta get to Merrill._' Theresa Miller thought as she stared at the road ahead, her hands holding the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles were turning white. She needed to get to her love, Merrill Hess, as soon as she possibly could. Terror filled Theresa's body as she listened to the news reports on the radio.

"We are getting unconfirmed reports of alien sightings around the globe. Each of these sightings appear to take place at or within one mile of crop signs. Many countries are taking people into underground bunkers and shelters away from possible target areas. Nuclear forces have been put on high alert. The President and his staff are currently being taken to a secure location. Those who live at or within one mile of a crop sign are urged to leave the area immediately. We will keep you updated as more information develops." The radio announcer was saying before she turned the radio off, not wanting to hear more.

Theresa and Merrill had been dating each other for close to 3 years. At 24-years-old, Theresa was an attractive and beautiful girl, with shoulder-blade length blonde hair and green eyes and a slim figure. She lived in Philadelphia working as a convenience store clerk, having been out of college for the summer and needing to make money. Although she lived 45 miles from Merrill, they always found the time to be with each other. She was also friends with Graham and close to his children. She came from a rather rich family, but liked to depend on herself to make money.

As she pulled into the Hess' driveway, she saw Merrill carrying a bag of some sort and walking for the main house. He turned to see who it was.

"Theresa?" He called.

"Merrill!" She yelled, running to embrace him.

He dropped his bag and they hugged tightly and kissed.

"Theresa, I thought you were yachting with your family in the Caribbean."

"Couldn't afford it. Besides, I'd rather be here with you than on some big yacht listening to my parents talk about money and things like that."

Merrill smiled and kissed her again. He loved her for whom she was and didn't care if she was rich or not. As they entered the house, Theresa took notice that Graham was boarding up the windows.

"Hey there, Theresa. Weren't you on that cruise with your family?" Graham asked when he saw her.

"I'd rather be with normal people than my rich family." Theresa smiled. "You're boarding up the house? I don't think that'll work, because if you get enough aliens punching the windows, they'll break in eventually."

Graham shook his head and said, "We'll be okay. They can't open doors."

"What do you mean 'can't open doors?'"

"I encountered one at Ray Reddy's house earlier today. It was locked in the pantry and couldn't get out"

"Graham, that's silly. Anything could open doors. Even dogs can do it."

"Well, the door _was _barricaded. Maybe we can board up the doors."

"Sounds like a good idea."

Suddenly, Morgan called out, "Dad, Theresa, Uncle Merrill!"

The three went into the closet where Morgan and Bo were watching the TV. It showed an image of lights parked over a major city.

"Amman joins Nairobi, Copenhagen, Beijing, Lagos, Sydney, and Jerusalem as the latest to confirm the appearance of lights." The news reporter said.

"There are lights in the skies of over 274 cities and that number is growing. They think it'll be 400 within the hour. The aliens themselves are appearing at or within a mile of crop signs. They think these are stages immediately preceding an attack maneuver." Morgan said softly.

"They're going to be within a mile of us." Merrill whispered, gripping Theresa's hand.

"They think it'll happen all at once." Morgan said.

"I've got a sudden urge to go to the lake. What do you say we just get some stuff together and head out there?" Theresa suggested.

"Sorry, Theresa, we're waiting it out here." Graham replied.

"Ground forces are being assembled in countries throughout the globe. Hundreds of thousands have flocked to temples, synagogues and churches. Nuclear forces have been put on high alert." The news reporter said over images of tanks and military forces being mobilized and people crowding places of worship.

"I'm going to get back to the windows." Graham said.

"I'll help." Theresa replied.

As the afternoon dissolved to dusk, Theresa felt overwhelming fear attack her body. Her family was somewhere out at sea, where they would be safe if the aliens truly didn't like water, and she was only several hundred feet from a crop circle. It was after 9:30 when the two had finished all the downstairs windows when Merrill and the kids came downstairs.

"There's too many windows in the bedrooms. We don't have enough boards." Merrill said.

"We'll board up the bedroom doors." Graham replied.

"Graham, the doors open inward. That won't protect us." Theresa reminded him.

"It's better than nothing. We'll sleep in the family room and I'll put Isabel in the garage after dinner."

"I'll make some sandwiches." Merrill said.

"I want spaghetti." Bo said softly.

"We should just eat fast, Bo."

"Spaghetti sounds great. What do you want, Morgan?" Graham asked.

"French toast and mashed potatoes." Morgan replied.

"Now we're talking. How about you two, Merrill and Theresa?"

"We'll have chicken teriyaki." Merrill replied.

"Good choice. I'm going to have a cheeseburger with bacon… extra bacon." Graham laughed.

A half-hour later, everyone was seated in front of their plates. No one said anything.

"What's the matter with everyone? Eat." Graham said.

"Maybe we should say a prayer." Morgan suggested.

"No."

"Why not?" Theresa asked.

"We are not saying a prayer. Eat!" Graham said firmly.

"But Graham-" Theresa said, but he cut her off.

"I am not wasting one more minute of my life on prayer. Not one more minute!" Graham was starting to get angry.

Finally, Theresa stood up and said, "Listen, Graham Hess. Apparently, you missed the news that there are aliens everywhere! They'll be here soon and chances are that they'll break into the house! Graham, please say a prayer. Not just for your family's safety, but for the safety of my family."

"Theresa, your entire family is on a boat somewhere in the Caribbean Sea. If this thing about the aliens not liking water is true, then they'll be safe and I don't have to pray for them."

"And what if it isn't true? They'd be in just as much danger as anyone. Graham, your kids are frightened. Why can't you say a prayer in hopes that they'll be safe? This might be your very last meal with them. I talked to my mom earlier today and that might be the last time I ever hear my mother's voice. Graham, please... do it for your family and other families out there.

"I am NOT saying a prayer! I don't care what your reason is!" Graham yelled.

Theresa glared at him. "Oh, so you don't care about your own kids or my family?" She asked, horrified and furious.

Graham immediately realized what he had said and said, "No, that's not what I meant."

"You know what? I came here not just to be with Merrill, but to find safety and sanctuary with you, Graham. But since you can't offer either one, I'll just take my business elsewhere." Theresa said as she stormed away.

"Where are you going?" Merrill asked, panicked.

"To the lake. Half of the town fled there, so I might as well go."

"You can't go! The aliens will be here any minute!" Merrill cried.

"What do you care? Your brother doesn't give a crap about you or his kids!" Theresa grabbed her purse and walked for the front door. Merrill ran after her and grabbed her arm. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" She screamed as she pushed him away and reached for the doorknob.

Merrill pulled her back and forced her around so she could face him, "Theresa, you're not going anywhere! Not until this thing is over. Do you want to die?" Merrill was starting to cry now.

Theresa realized her mistake and embraced Merrill, crying, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She wept into his shoulder. Then she looked into the kitchen and saw Graham hugging his children. Theresa and Merrill wet into the kitchen and joined in the family hug.

"Please forgive me, Theresa. I'm so sorry." Graham sobbed.

"I forgive you. I know you didn't mean it." She replied.

"Theresa, do you want to know why I won't pray? The night Colleen died, I was heading for the accident site. When I saw the roadblock, I said a prayer that Colleen would be okay, but it obviously didn't work. I'm afraid that if I pray for the safety of you, Merrill, the kids, my family, and your family, the aliens will kill all of you and I'd be left alone. That's why I won't pray, because I'm afraid the same thing will happen to all of you." Graham said softly.

Before anyone could respond, droning and clicking noises began emanating from the baby monitor. Graham got up and went into the closet, where he saw that the TV image was just a plain blue screen with the words, "EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM" emblazoned on it in large white letters. A monotone sound filled the closet.

Graham shut off the TV and turned to his family and friend. "It's happening." He said softly.

Theresa gripped Merrill's hand in terror.

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Next chapter coming soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the delay.

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As Merrill pounded some boards onto the children's bedroom doors, Graham stood in his room, silent, looking out the window. The flood light threw long shadows over the yard. There was a light breeze and nothing seemed wrong. The crickets chirped away.

"Graham, what are you doing?" Theresa asked, coming into the bedroom.

Graham didn't respond. His eyes stayed locked on the crops which went on and on into darkness. He moved closer to the glass, watching the top of the corn stalks swaying slightly with the wind.

"What is it?" Theresa asked, going over to the window herself.

Suddenly, they both saw something move in the cornfield. Lines began to emerge in the field; the kind of lines made by someone walking through them. Although Theresa and Graham couldn't see who was making them, all they could see were about four or five lines moving towards the house. The crickets suddenly stopped chirping and Graham and Theresa backed away from the window.

"Graham, Theresa, hurry." Merrill said.

Graham and Theresa exited the room and Merrill and Graham immediately began nailing a wall of boards on Graham's bedroom door. Theresa walked for the stairs.

"Theresa, where are you going?" Merrill asked.

"Downstairs. I've gotta try and call my mom."

As Theresa disappeared downstairs, Graham tried a tactic to ease the kids' fears.

"Did I ever tell you what everyone said when you were born, Bo?" Graham asked his daughter, who nodded "no". "You came out of your mom and you didn't even cry. You just opened your eyes and looked around at everybody. Your eyes were so big and gorgeous, the ladies in the room gasped. They literally gasped. Then they go, 'She's like an angel.' They said, 'We've never seen a baby so beautiful.'"

Bo approached her father and he bent down to face her.

"And you know what else happened? When they put you on the table to clean you up, you looked at me and smiled. They say babies that young can't smile... You smiled." Graham said, picking her up as Merrill finished boarding up the door.

As the four of them retreated downstairs, Theresa was on her cell phone, trying to contact her mother.

"Come on, Mom, pick up! Pick up, Mom!" She said before turning the phone off. "No answer."

Suddenly, they heard frantic barking from outside.

"We forgot Isabelle." Morgan said.

"Oh no..." Theresa said.

Isabelle's barking became more and more desperate and angry. Suddenly, they heard her yelp... and silence. Moments later, footsteps from the front porch were heard.

"Should we turn off the lights?" Merrill asked.

"It's too late. They already know we're in here." Theresa shook her head.

They could only listen as sounds of footsteps came from all directions of the house. Metal noises from the back door and front doors as the handles were tried. Dark shadows passed by the windows as the aliens walked across the porch.

"How many are there?" Theresa asked.

"Who knows? Could be five, ten, twenty." Graham said.

Noticing the fear on Bo and Morgan's faces, Merrill said, "Graham, you're scaring them!"

Theresa walked over and grabbed Merrill's prized baseball bat off the wall.

"Theresa, what are you doing?" Graham asked.

"We're probably gonna need protection." She said.

As they listened to the sounds, Graham kneeled before Morgan.

"Do you know what happened when you were born Morgan?" Graham asked. "You came out and mom kept bleeding. The doctors rushed you out of the room before I could even see you."

Thuds from above echoed through the house.

"They're on the roof." Merrill said.

"While they were trying to fix her up, all she kept asking about was you." Graham continued

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass came from upstairs.

"They're in the house." Merrill said, his voice shaking.

"Oh my god..." Theresa said silently, walking next to Merrill.

"I wanted your mom to see you first. She had dreamed about you her whole life. They waited till she felt better, then they brought you in. They placed you right in her arms. And she looked at you. And you looked at her. You just stared at each other for the longest time and then she said real soft, 'Hello Morgan, I'm your mama, you look just like I dreamed.'" Graham finished.

Theresa approached the stairs, looked up and gasped.

"What is it, sweetie?" Merrill asked.

"L-Look!" She said, almost inaudibly, pointing up.

Merrill then saw a rectangle in the upstairs ceiling, a tiny rope hanging from it.

"The attic door..." He said, horrified.

As he began running up the stairs, Theresa called him back, "Merrill, leave it! It's too late!"

Reluctantly, Merrill ran back downstairs to see a set of long, clawed fingers reach  
under the front door.

"Let's go!" Merrill said as he and Graham led the kids into the kitchen. Theresa stayed in the living room, looking up at the ceiling.

"Theresa, come on!" Merrill said.

But she couldn't hear him. Her mind was lost as she stared up at the attic door. She could hear footsteps right above her in the attic. Suddenly, the springs in the trap door began to groan and the door started to fall open. At the same time, she saw the bedroom doors opening.

"Theresa!" Merrill called.

Theresa snapped out of her trance and immediately grabbed her cell phone off the coffee table and retreated into the kitchen, shutting the door behind her. Before anyone could do anything, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"They're coming... we have to go in the basement." Graham said.

"There's no way out of there." Theresa pointed out.

"Doesn't matter. Into the basement, now!"

Theresa, Merrill, Bo, and Morgan ran down into the basement while Graham stayed up, looking at the door. Loud clicking noises sounded as the doorknob turned. Graham immediately ran down the basement stairs and slammed the door behind him.

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Another chaper coming soon.


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